10 Tips on How to Survive Your First Workout Ever (3 min read)

The festive season is around! Hopefully, looking back at the year, you are proud of what you have accomplished, your fitness goals included. And for sure, you have a friend who is about doing light exercising now and then for eleven months in a year, but in December suddenly becomes obsessed with pre-holiday boot camp, daily cardio Pilates workouts or CrossFit challenge.

We dare to predict how it goes from there: she picks the nearest gym, looks for the group class with the highest calorie burn rate, signs in, shows up. And then, approximately after five minutes of the workout, she regrets about that bagel an hour earlier and not choosing just walking around the block instead of coming to workout, and desperately looks at the watch every two minutes, wondering how longer the exercising torture will last.

Here’s the list of Ten Essential Tips for Workout Newbies, which aims to make the first gym experience not the nightmare to avoid till the rest of the life but an inspiring introduction to the world of fitness, beauty, and health. Share your professional fitness nut’s wisdom with a friend – be a keeper.

1. Arrive 15 minutes in advance. You will use this time to get around the gym and to choose the place in a class. Also, this extra time can be necessary to adjust your bike in a spinning class, choose proper step aerobic platform or weights. If you are late, classes can be already fully packed, and you may stick with the slot next to the instructor, which could be pretty intimidating. Finally, proper warm up is necessary for any workout, so you do not want to miss it either.

2. Wear proper exercise clothing. Prepare well fitted, comfortable sports outfit – comfort is the basis for fun in any fitness routine. You need clothes that let you move, absorb moisture and appropriate for the class specifics (for instance, in Pilates you will need socks with little grips on the bottom). Breathable, comfortable clothing that is not too baggy or tight is best.

3. Start a dialogue with your instructor. Do you have something going on with your body? Strains, sprains, aches, pulls, surgical happenings, replacements, pregnancy or anything else? Let your instructor know before class. If you need clarification about something, don’t hesitate to ask!

4. Remember: this workout is about You. It doesn’t matter what the person on the mat next to you is doing. Pay attention to yourself, your body, and your mind. Every serious workout is about learning to listen to your body; it focuses on quality of movement, not quantity of repetitions. Take breaks if you need to. Though, if the class seems to be more challenging than you have expected, the good news is that your stamina and endurance will increase over time if you are consistent with classes.

5. Stay Hydrated. Drink at least two cups of liquid, two to three hours before class. Then drink 1 cup immediately before the start of classes to make sure that the body is sufficiently hydrated. During a workout, it is necessary to drink 200-300 ml of fluid every 10 – 20 minutes during training and even more extreme temperatures. And though it may seem difficult at first, but once you make these requirements into your regular training schedule, you quickly get used to it.

6. Safety comes first. Though your fitness trainer is partially responsible for your health during a class, use your fair judgment whether you are fit enough to that particular piece of gym equipment. And even in slow-intense mind-body classes, in order to gain the best yoga and Pilates benefits, consultation with your physician will be preferable before you begin your fitness adventure.

7. Be patient: excellence takes practice. You will not master it on the first lesson. Time is needed to experience every exercise, with all workout type specific and breathing technique. There are certain terms you will learn like ‘core’ and ‘neutral spine.’ It’s like a new language for both your mind and body.

8. Spoil yourself to a private lesson. Yes, we know, it is more tempting to spend a hundred bucks on a new beauty kit or eating out with friends, but a personal training session could give the right focus: the modifications you need to make when exercising, your personal fitness plan, dieting tips, and much more. So, cut out the pancakes for a week or two and sign in to a one-on-one class. Your body will appreciate you doing so.

9. Don’t push it. Overtraining can boost your appetite, mess with your sports motivation, and lead to burnout. Working out could be a new habit you fall in love with, but it takes some time. Some researchers suggest it takes 21 days to crack a habit and establish a new one; others say up to 30 days. Dream big and take baby steps – that is the key to long-term success.

10. Enjoy yourself! Anew experience is always fun. Spend some time to find a workout you really like – and let it be your perfect complement to the next year journey.